Educators, policymakers, and school leaders with an interest in Chinese language teaching and learning came together for the seventh annual National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) May 8–10 in Los Angeles.

Jointly organized by the College Board and the Asia Society, this year’s NCLC focused on the importance of understanding Chinese language and culture in the context of a growing global economy. The conference featured five plenary and 70 breakout sessions on topics ranging from sustainable immersion programs to strategies to enhance student engagement in learning Chinese.

The opening plenary gala included a wide range of events, including a student performance from Los Angeles County High School of the Arts; a bilingual keynote address from former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; a panel discussion between David Coleman, Josette Sheeran, president of Asia Society, and Madame Xu Lin, director general of Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, moderated by Clayton Dube, associate director of the University of Southern California U.S.-China Institute; and a closing music and storytelling performance by U.S. folk singer Abigail Washburn.

Other plenary highlights included:

A discussion about how California and China are working together in unique ways to build a mutual appreciation for culture and language, featuring opening remarks from the chairman of the College Board’s Board of Trustees, Maghan Keita.

A conversation with noted translators Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin about the work of translating modern Chinese literature into English (with a video message from Nobel Prize–winning author Mo Yan).

A discussion with Kenneth Lin (writer, House of Cards) and Janet Yang (producer, Joy Luck Club) about how China and Chinese people are portrayed in the entertainment industry.

A discussion by a panel of U.S. students who studied and lived in China regarding the impact the experience has had on their academic and professional lives.